Sunday, January 15, 2017

Command Ops 2: Interior Lines!

This is a continuation from my previous post about Command Ops-Westwall "Counterstroke in the Swamp" scenario. Spoilers warning.

Day 2, 7:52. As reinforcements pour in, I order them south towards the critical road junction at Meijel and the stretch of road between Liesel and Heitrak. These two pieces of real estate dominate the two main bridges that the Germans are using to move across the canal.

One of the first sizeable reinforcements was CCB, which I ordered diddle diddle straight up the middle through Liesel. This fateful decision almost totalled my command career. As seen above, moving a force of this size through a single road surrounded by polder in the face of the tiniest resistance (grey German icons at Liesel) was very stupid. I should have used my interior lines and approach from the west. The amount of time spent at Liesel was not in my budget.

Meanwhile, at Meijel, CCR is getting nervous at the prospect of being surrounded.

Almost one day later, with a tremendous flank punch by the UK 227th Highland Brigade (brown icons), Liesel gets liberated.

UK reinforcements everywhere! Great news for everybody. The US grunts of CCR, get some relief from the 46th Highland Brigade (brown icons). Note how they arrive to Meijel from the west (where my interior lines are). This resulted in a very organized joint fall in.

This screenshot is from the final day of battle (day 5) and shows how the very valuable UK brigades have helped to control the Liesel-Heitrak-Neerkant-Meijel road. This left the German infantry unable to push west into our rear. Note how the US CCB has been detangled from the mess up north and was able to move all the way into Neerkant.

And let's not forget the situation way south at Ospel, where CCA has been fighting against the fallschirmjäger for almost five days. The German forces (light blue icons) were eventually evicted from most of the town.

And a final screenshot of the situation at Meijel, where a joint allied force has a solid hold and has corked the German forces crossing the canal.

Areas of control at the end of the battle. Note the "pressure points" (red for Axis and blue for allies) with the most important one at Meijel.